Starting with the 2026-27 school year, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District will be restructuring staff positions to try to stem a recent trend of deficit spending, taking advantage of upcoming retirements.
For several years now, the district has been spending slightly more than it brought in — a practice unsustainable in the long run according to superintendent Heath Rocha. Though the district has succeeded in lowering the deficit by 93% during the second interim of this fiscal year — down from $3,300,000 to about $230,000 — steps are still being taken to completely avoid deficit spending in future years. In ‘25-’26, the district had revenue of $86,886,377 and is spending $87,620,759, according to information in a board presentation earlier this year.
At the March 5 board meeting, the board approved the motion to reform the cafeteria supervisor position into a cafeteria site coordinator position in light of ongoing deficit spending from the cafeteria at both campuses.
According to the district, the new position following a site cafeteria coordinator model will ensure financial stability and responsiveness, since it would require careful planning, organizing, ordering and budgeting along with overseeing other cafeteria positions and avoid the overspending the cafeteria experienced these last few years. In addition to structural changes and new budget reforms, one full-time custodian position will be removed in the upcoming year for a total projected savings of $340,000.
Another change approved during the meeting was reclassifying the plant and operations supervisor position to the site facilities manager position at both campuses. Previously, the plant and operations supervisor was in charge of overseeing all operations and personnel on the campus grounds to ensure safety and coordination with legal regulations and site administrators. Now, the role has expanded, serving as the primary site liaison for facilities-related matters including communications with administrators, staff, contractors, inspectors, and community partners to support school programs and special events.
This change promotes consistent management across the district, supporting efficient operations and covering the full scope of updated managerial duties. Though the position is currently vacant at SHS, the new job position will be posted and filled by the coming year.
With the upcoming retirement of director of technology Julia Grenier, the district also plans to combine the position with the director of continuous improvement and accountability. To make up for it, a lower technology services manager position focusing solely on infrastructure and network would be implemented, saving the district approximately $175,000 according to executive director of business services Patrick Bernhardt at the March 5 board meeting.
Ahead in the planning process, upcoming retirements in the business services department mean the district will be reclassifying positions within the department for approximately $85,000 in savings.
An increase in savings also means higher negotiated wages for staff this upcoming year. Following recent negotiations, certificated staff appear to be heading toward accepting a roughly 5% raise.
Avoiding deficit spending has been a consistent goal for the district and districts across the state, but the issue has become more significant in recent years.
According to the Reason Foundation, between 2002 and 2023, public school funding in California increased from $14,526 per student to $25,941 per student — a 79% increase even after adjusting for inflation.
Even so, student scores and performance have remained relatively the same and still below pre-pandemic standards nationwide, while decreasing student populations tightens public school finances.
While the LGSUHSD is far from drowning in debt — compared to districts like the Los Angeles Unified School District with an $877 million deficit and San Francisco Unified School district with an $102 million deficit and looming school closures — district leaders say smart financial decisions are necessary to prioritize.
